The Chronicles of Etinerra

The Doom of Man has fallen upon the Lands.

Southron Duchy

Overview

The Southron Duchy occupies a central location in the southern half of the Lands of Men. It is best known for its thick forests and swampy lands, as well as the fierce independence of its inhabitants. The duchy is ruled by the Felix family, who have held it since the founding of the Lands of Men. The current ruler is Duke-in-waiting Heber Felix, son of King Julian Felix V, who is the current King of the Lands.

The Duchy’s lands run south from the Whiterun river down to the Freyye Seas. It runs from the southern range of the Sithasten Mountains to the forests that separate the duchy from Regnum Central. It is also adjoining a large area of coastal lands ruled by Elves, although both make uneasy neighbors. The Duchy has never been very welcoming to demihumans, but the treaties with the Elves helps to enforce the peace, although the Southrons are very strict about maintaining their borders. The Duchy is largely populated along the southern region, with the remaining land consisting mostly of hamlets surrounding large manors for farming.

The Southron Duchy was originally much larger, with it’s eastern lands reaching to the Reaches Seas. However, after the rebel Duke Oscar Felix was killed in battle during the War of Succession, the Southron Duchy was split in half and the Duchy of Dawn created for the Yuligan family, as a reward for them having remained loyal to the tradition of succession and the overall Kingdom.

The Duchy ranks second in the number of Kings that it has produced. The current King, King Felix V, is said to have pounced on the throne when King Yuligan II died. When Southron troops suddenly appeared in Regium, with the Doom having thrown the Lands in chaos, there was little the other Dukes could do to contest Felix’s claim. It is said that the crown rests uneasily on Felix’s brow, as he knows the other Dukes wait for the opportunity to depose him. The Southron troops that occupy Regium keep him in power, as does the power of his Duchy and the relative peace he enjoys, compared to the warfare the other duchies are involved in with the Bestials. Within the Duchy, the Orcs have been held at bay, by fierce fighting and almost suicidal counterattacks into their tribelands by Southron troops to keep the tribes off balance.